Railway apparatus



March 15 192?.

A. W. FISHER ET AL RAILWAY APPARATUS Original Filed June 6, 1923 I JHINVEN'IZORS Q'W. M

Patented Mar. 15, 1927.

UNITED STATES ARTHURIW. risr'ina, or'roRns'rniLLs :sonouetrinnn W SLEY 'WELLS, OL IL- v KINSBUBG', PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO Ti-I E"UN'IOI T SWITCH &'s'IGNAL 00M PANY, or 'sWIssvALE, PENNSYLVANIA, AV'CORPORATION- or PENNsYLVANIA.

RAILWAY Ar'PARATUs;

Application filed June 6, 1923, Serial o. 648,766..1 Renewed December 20, .1926."

Our invention relates to railway appa ratus, and particularly to apparatus of the type comprising track circuit including nor-' mally energized track relays arranged to be shunted by the wheels-and axles of passing trains. I V

lVe will describe one form and arrangement-of apparatus embodying our 1nven-' tion, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims, a a

The accompanying drawing is adiagrammatic view showing one form of apparatus embodying our invention.

Referring to the drawing, the reference characters 3 and 3 designate the track rails. of a railway over which traffic normally moves in both'directions. These track rails are-divided by means of insulated joints 2. into two track sections AB and 13-0. Each section is provided with a suitable source of track circuit current such as a battery D which as here shown isconnect'ed with the rails adjacent the middle'of thesection. Interposed between each battery D'and one rail 3 of the associatedsec-tions is a resistance 1, one function of which is to limit the output of the battery when the rails of the section are occupied by a train. Gonnected across each end of each section is a track relay here designated by the reference character R with a distinguishing exponent. Asshown in the drawing,the juncture of sections A-B and B'G is locatedat the intersection of the railway and a highway M il. This intersection is protected by a highway crossing signal controlled by means of an interlocking relay L of any suitabletype. As here shown the crossing signal comprises a bell E provided with a circuit which passes from some suitablesource of energy such as a battery J through wire 50, back contact 51 operated by winding 46 of interlocking relay L, wire 52, operating mechanism of hell E, and wire 53, backto battery bell E which passes from battery J throughwire 50, back contact 5% operated by wind-= ing 47 of interlocking relay L, wire operating mechanisinof. bell E,- and wire :53 back i battery-Jr It follows" that bell J. Another circuit is provided for" V I -,and--18-.back to battery This circuit is wi-ll -1*ing, whenever :either back contact of? relay L is closed. i

The interlockmg'relay L is controlled, as' willappear hereinafterfloy means of a slow acting'relay H-locatedsat point B. V

Each-section is providedwith a slowactin'g relay designated by the reference-char acter F witha distinguishing exponent, and each section is further provided with alinerelay designated by the reference character G witlra distinguishing exponent.

Referring particularly to section B'C,. line relay G is provided with a pick-up circuit which passes from a suitable source of energy as a battery K, through wires .4, 5,

6, 7 "and 8, front contact 9 of track relay'R*,

wire 10, front contact 11- of track relay R wire '12,-winding of line relay-Gfliwires 13' and 14, front' contact 15 of slow acting-re lay F and wires'l6, 17 and 18 back to bat tery K. This'circuit is closedonly when relays R R, anclF are all energized. :This circuit is provided with a branch which passes from wire 13, throughfront contact 20" of 'li'ne'relayfG and wires 21, 22 and 23, back to wire 17. The circuitrthrough" this branch'is closed only .when "relay- G is already energized and relays R andlt are both energized, and so this circuit'serves as a retaining or stick circuitfor relay G but'it-cannot serve to energize this relay after relay G has been de-energlzed;

Slow: actingw'relayfH is provided with a circuit which passes from battery K through wires 4:, 5, 6 and 7, back contact 24 of line relay G wires'25 and 26,.winding of relay H, and wires 27, 28, 17 and 18 back to battery K. This circuit is closed only when relay-G is d'e-en-ergized. Slow" acting-srelay F is provided with a circuit which passes from battery K through wires 4, 5 and s,28, 'front contact 290i slow acting ,rela'y"'H;,;- wire I80, winding of slowc acting relay of track relay R jandf wires 21-; "22," 28, 17

provided witlra branch which passes from wire 5 31, through wire 33, front 3 contact 1- I34 'of slow actinig relay F iwires '35'and 36, front "contact 3770f line'relayfifi and-wires F wires 31and532, back contact 20- i 38, '39, 40 and 41 back to wire 18; It folgized as long as relay G is closed.

Interlocking relayL is provided with two windings 46 and 47. Winding 46 1s vided with a circuit which passes from attery K through wires'4, 5, 6 and 7, front contact 24 of line relay G wire 42, back contact 43 of slow acting relay F wire 44,

Winding 46. of interlocking relay. L, and wires 45 and 18 back to battery K. Thls circuit is closed-only when relay G is closed and relay F is open.

.Relay G associated with section AB is providedwith a pick-up circuit similar to the pick-up circuit for relay G of section B'C. This circuit includes front contact '56 oftrack relay 1%, front contact 57 of track relay R and front contact 58 of slow," acting relay F The stick circuit for relay'G includes the above-mentioned track relay contacts andfront contact 59 of line relay G but omits front contact 58 of slowacting relay F Relay F is controlled over circuits similar to those described in connection with relay F the pick-up circuit forrelay F including front contact 60 of relay Hand back contact; 59of line relay G and the stick circuit. for this relay including front contact 60 of relay H, front contact 62 of relay G and front contact 61 of relay F It will also be noticed that the opening of relay G closes, at back contact 48 thereon, circuit for. relay H, the purpose of which circuit will become apparent as the "description proceeds. l Vinding 47 of interlocking relayis controlled by front contact 48 of relay G? and back contact 63 ofrelay V F in a manner similar to the control of V The opening of front 'winding 46 by relaysG and F In the drawing all parts of the apparatus areillustrated in the conditions corresponding to the unoccupied condition of both sec tions A B and BC. All the track relays V R, R R 'and R are energized. Line relays G and G are also energized, whereas slow acting relays H, F and F are all de-en-er gized, Both windings 46 and 47 of interlocking relay L are therefore energized and the bell E is therefore de-energized. Now wewill assume that a train, moving toward the left, enters section B--C at point C. Thistle-energizes track relays -3 and R which in turn tie-energizes line relay G contact 24 of line 'rela y'G interrupts the. circuit for winding 46 which thereupon becomes tie-energized and causes'bell E to ring. The closing of back. contact-24 of line relay the. circuit 1 for relay... H which thereupon becomes energized. The closing of front pick-up circuit for G completes contact 29 of slow acting relay H completes the circuit for relay F 3 throughback contact 20 of line relay'G and slow acting relay F is then energized, closing its front closes its front contact.

As the rear of the train moves out of section BC both track relays R and R are picked up and the closing of front contacts 11 and 9 on these relays completes the line relay G through front contact'15 of relay F 3 now closed. As soon front contact 20 of relay G is closed the retaining or stick circuit therefor is closed and the relay is retained in its energized position regardless of the subsequent opening of contact 15 of relay F The winding 47 of interlocking relay L is not energized, however, for its circuit is still open at contact 43 of relay F The open ing of back contact 24 of relay G opens one circuit for relay H but this relay remains closed becauseof the circuit over back contact 48 of relay G 7 The opening of back contact 20 of relay G opens one circuit for relay F and the other circuit for this relay at contact 37 of relay G, therefore relay F is d e-energized.

its back contacts and thus completes the circuit forwinding 4610f relay'L. This wind- 1 ing is thenenergized, so that back contact 51 opens, but back contact 54 is still locked so that this contact is open. The bell E is therefore ile-energized and stops ringing.

As the train passes out of section AB, relays R and R are picked up, completing the circuit for relay G which is then picked up thus tie-energizing relay H. After an interval of time the front contacts of this relay open thus tie-energizing relay F 2 but at the same time a shunting circuit is closed around this relay through the back contact 60 of relay H, thus delaying the release of relay F beyond even its normal release 3-61'10Cl. Nhen relay F finally opens, the closing of its back contact restores the circuits to normal by'the energization of winding 47 of rela L. Y u I The operation of the apparatus as a train is already opened After an interval of time 'due to its retardation period relay F closes P s f mv left to right iscthe same as that ation of signal It vwillsbe -.observed that .the pick-tip circuit. fo'r i'elay G? iscarried over a front contact of the relay F1 the pick-up circuit for relay 1G passes over a front contact on'relay F The purpose of-this is to insure continuousd-e-energization of relay L in .theevent of failureof either slow acting relay F or F to close. a

If while a train i's-inse'ction B''C moving toward the left track relays R and Rt are momentarily energized, asby poor shunting due to rusty rails, relay G will bemomeiitarily picked-up. Whilevrelay G is closed the circuit .will be broken: for slow acting relay H. Front contact 29 of this relay will not open, however, till the expiration of a definite time interval due to the period of retardation of this relay. Relay F is energized over. front contact 37 of relay G -which is'now closed, and so relay F willnot bede energized till relay H opens its front contact. iVhenthe front contact 29 of relay H opens, relay F will-become dc-energized but its back contact will not close till the expiration of 'a definite time interval. The duration of this time interval is considerably increased bysnubbing or shortcirc'uiting therelay over the back point of contact '29'of relay II. It will thus be seen that following the-energization of relays R and a,

R the circuit forwinding 46 of interlocking relay L is not completed, and hence bell E is not Pele-energized, till the expiration of the time interval required for relays'H and F? to successively close.-theii' back contacts. The parts may be so proportioned'that the period of retardation. thus provided exceeds the time interval during R are closed, thus insuring constant oper- If section AB is occupied by a train moving from right to left, winding 46 of relay L, as hereinbefore explained," is energized and winding 47 is de'-energize'd. Contact 54L howeveris-locked in its open-posv tionand bell E is therefore (IlQ-BIIBI'QIZG'CL It now winding 4:7 should become momentarily energized, contact 54 would be unlocked, and if winding :47 should subsequently be deen'er'gized, thebell-E would becomeenergized. Since the train is moving away from the crossing at point ;B,the\energization of In our invention 1l1- bell is undesirable; will be obser-Vedtliatintermittent operation of'relay G due to intermittent enei'g-ization of relays It and R will not operate to energize: winding l7 of relay L till theexpii'ation of the. time. inte-rikal required" for i'el aysiH and F tosuccessively close-their back contacts as i explained ihereinbefore in connectionwith section B 4"), and so relay L will not bewreleasedby momentary failure offtfhe shunt across the railsl'of section AB; I It should: be; minted out; that although we have hereinsliown v ancL- descri'bedlour 'in've-n Iii .a similar .mahner which relaysR. and i tion inconnection with. a highway crossing signal, it is in noway limited to such application.

Although we have herein shown and describedonly one form and arrangement of" railway apparatus embodying our invention, it is understood that various changes and? modifications maybe made therein within the scope of "theiap'pended claimswithout departing from the spirit :and scope' of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, whating relay, and an electro-responsiv'e device controlled in part by said=other relays.-

In combination, an insulated section of railway track, a track relay responsive'to trai'iic conditionsin said section, a line rela'y for said sectionya slow acting trelay controlled by said line r'elay; means controlled by said'sl'ow acting relay for attimes energizing said line-relay, and signaling. apparatus controlled in part by said-slow acting:

relay.

2-3. In combination, two ad acentinsulated sections of railway trackyav line relay foreach section responsive to vtraffic conditions in such section,-acoinmonwi'elay controlled by said line'i'elays, a slow' acting-.lrelaycfor each section controlled by'saidcommon relay, an interlocking relay having two-,"windings, one of 'which'windings is:controlled by each line relay and the associated slow acting relay, and a highway crossing signal controlledrby said i-nterlockingflrelay.

4:. In combination; two insulated sections of railway track, a source of track circuit current for each. section connected across the trackrails ach-acent-the middle-of thesec-" tion, twotrack relays for each section connected across the rails adjacent the-two ends of the section respectively, a line relay foreach section, a slow acting'relay for "each section, a third slowacting relay common to said two sections,-1neans forenergizing saidthird slow acting relay when-either ofsaid line relays is open, meansoperating to energ ze each of-said first'two slow acting relays when the associatedlinerelayis open and] -ll0 1I16EL11S for energizing each line "relay when" the third slow actingrelayis energized,

the two associated track relays are energized and the associated slow acting relay is energized, an, interlocking relay .haviiigtwo magnets when and only when the-associatedy slow acting relay is open and the associated line relay is energizedyand signaling-means controlled by said interlocking relay;

5. In combination, an insulated 'secti'on'of railway track, t'wo trackvrelays responsivejto trafiic conditions in said section, aline relay controlledby said track relays, a slow acting relay, and means controlled by said line relay for energizing said slow actlng relay or for de-energizing said slow acting relay and subsequently short-circuiting the terminals 7 thereof.

,6. In combination, an insulated section of railway track, two track relays responsive to traffic conditions in said section, a line relay controlled by said track relays, a slow acting relay, 'means controlled by said line relay for energizing said slow .actmg relay or for de-energizing said slow acting relay and "subsequently short-circuitmg the terminals thereoflan-d railway signaling apparatus controlled by said slow acting relay.

7. In combination, an insulated section of railway track, two track relays responsive to trafiic conditions in said section, a. line relay controlled by said track relays, a slow acting relay,means controlled by said line relay for energizing said slow acting relay or for de-energizingsaid slow acting relay and subsequently short-circuiting the ten TfllnttlS thereof, and rallway signaling appa,

ratus controlled by said slow acting relay and said line rela r 8. In combination, two contiguous insulated sections of railway track, a-line relay for each section, means associated with each 1 section and responsive to trafiic conditions therein for controlling the associated line relay, a common relay at times controlled by each of the said line relays, a slow acting relay for each section controlled in part by said common relay, and apparatus controlled by said line relays and said slow acting re lays.

lated sections of railway track, a linerelay' for each section, means associated with each section and responsive to' traflic conditions therein for controlling the associated line relay, a common relay at times controlled by each of the said line relays, a slow acting re-' lay for each section, means controlled by each line relay for energizing the associated slow acting relay, and means controlled by the line relay associated with the other sec- 7 tion for energizing said slow acting relay.

10. In comblnatlon, two contlguous 1nsu-' other section, and a highway crossing signal controlled by slow acting relays.

said line relays and said 11 In' combination, two contiguous insulated sections of railway track, a line relay slow acting relay, a

9. In combination, two contiguous insu-i for each section, means associated with each section and responsive to traiiic conditions therein for controlling the associated line relay, a common relay at times controlled by each of the said line relays, a slow acting relay for each section controlled'by the associated line relay and theline relay of the other section and said common relay, an interlocking relay controlled by said line relay and said slow acting relay, and a highway 7ocrossing signal controlled by said interlocking relay. 1 i

12. In combination, two contiguous insulated sections of railway track, a source of track circuit energy for each section, a track relay connected across the rails adjacent each end of each said section, a line relay and a slow acting relay for each said section, a common slow acting relay for the two said sections and located adjacent their juncture, a circuit for each said line relay including a front contact on each associated track relay and a front contact on the associated circuit for said common slow acting relay comprising a front contact on one said line relay, second cir-' cuit for said common slow acting relay including a front contact on the other saidline relay, a circuit for each said slow acting relay including a frontcontact on said common slow acting relay and a back contact on the associated line relay, asecond circuit for each said slow acting relay including a front contact on said common slow acting relay and a front contact on the linerelayassociated with the other section, a snubbing path for each slow acting. relayincluding a back contact on said common slow acting relay and a front contact on said slow acting relay, and an interlocking relay controlled by said line relays-and said slow actin'grelays. I

13, In combination, two sections of railway track, a track circuit including a track relay for each section, an individual slow-reieasingrelay for each section and a third,

slow-releasing relay common to the two sections, means operating when either track relay is open to energize said common relay, means operating when said'common relay is ciosed and either track relay is open to energize the individual slow-releasing relay associated with. such track relay, and signaling means controlled jointly by said track relays and'su'id individual slow-rdeasing relays.

'14. In combination, two sections of railway track, a track circuit including a track relay toreacli section, an individual slowreleasing relay for each section and athird slow-releasing relay common to the two sections, means operating when either track relay is open to energize said common relay,

ISO

means operating when said commonrelay is closed and either track relay is open to ener- 'l3o gize the individual slow-releasing relay asso-. ciated with such track relay, means operating when said common relay and the remaining individual slow-releasing relay are closed to maintain said individual slow-releasing relay in its energized condition, and signaling means controlled jointly by said track relays and said individual slow-releasing relays.

15. In combination, two sections of railway track, a track circuit including a track relay for each section, an individual slowreleasing relay for each section and a third slow-releasing relay common to the two sections, means operating when either track relay is open to energize said common relay,

, means operating when said common relay is closed and either track relay 1s open to energize the individual slow-releasing relay.

associated with such track relay, and a snubbing circuit for each said individual slow- 7 releasing relay including its own front contact and a back contact on said common relay.

16. In combination, two sections of railway track, a track circuit including a track relay for each section, an individual slowreleaslng relay for each section and a third slow-releasing relay common to the two sections, means opera-tlng when elther track relay is open to energize said common relay,

means operating when said common relay 1s closed and either track relay 1s open to energize the individual slow-releasing relay associated with such track relay, and a highway crossing signal controlled jointly by said track relays and said individual slow-releasing relay.

17. In combination, two sections of railway track, a track circuit including a track relay for each section, an individual slowreleasing relay for each section and a third slow-releasing relay common to the two sections, means operating when either track relay is open to energize said common relay, means operating when said common relay is track rails adjacent the middle of the section,

two track relays for each section connected across the rails adjacent the two ends of the section respectively, a line relay for each section, a slow acting relay for each section,

a third slow acting relay common to said two sections, means for energizing said third slow acting relay when either of sald line relays is open, means operating to energlze each of said first two slow acting relays when the associated line relay is open and the third slow acting relay is energized, means for subsequently keeping such first slow acting relay energized as long as the third relay is closed and the line relay for the other section remains closed, means for energizing each line relay when the two associated track relays are; energized and the associated slow acting relay is energized, means for subsequently keeping each line relay energized until one of the associated track relays opens, an interlocking relay having two magnets one for each section, means for energizing each magnet when and only when the associated slow acting relay is open and the associated line relay is energized, and signaling means controlled by said interlocking relay.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

ARTHUR W; FISHER. 'WESLEY B. WELLS. 

